6 ways to support employees through life’s difficult moments

Life events can knock employees for six which is when an understanding and empathic organisation can make a crucial difference to their recovery time.

There are traumatic, sometimes sudden events, such as bereavement, divorce, an unexpected diagnosis or a family crisis, that can change an employee’s life overnight.

These ‘life events’ will dramatically affect the employee and won't stay neatly outside the workplace. They affect concentration, confidence, relationships, finances and the ability to work as normal.

An organisation using a strong social wellbeing approach recognises that in these circumstances, people need practical help, human understanding and connection.

The scale of the issue is significant. Around 24% of working-age people (equivalent to 7.9 million employees) experienced a bereavement within a 12-month period. Meanwhile, 102,678 divorces were recorded in England and Wales in 2023. These figures reinforce a simple truth: difficult life events are not exceptional workforce issues. They’re an everyday part of managing people.

Make policies compassionate and flexible: Rigid policies rarely reflect the reality of grief, family breakdown or serious illness. Employers should give managers discretion to offer paid leave, temporary changes to hours, remote working, reduced workloads or phased returns. The aim is not to remove structure, but to create enough flexibility for the individual to manage appointments, legal arrangements, caring responsibilities and periods of lower capacity.
Equip managers to respond well: A manager’s first response can shape whether an employee feels safe and supported. Training should cover sensitive conversations, confidentiality, signposting and reasonable adjustments. Managers don’t need to become counsellors; they need to listen without judgement, avoid assumptions and agree practical next steps.
Offer clear routes to expert support: Support should be easy to understand and easy to access. Employee assistance programmes (EAPs), counselling, virtual GP services, legal guidance and financial wellbeing resources may all help, depending on the circumstances. Communicate these services regularly rather than expecting employees to search for them during a crisis. Provide more than one route to support, including confidential self-referral.
Keep communication personal and consistent: Silence can feel isolating, but frequent questions can become overwhelming. Agree how and when contact will happen, who will stay in touch and what information may be shared with colleagues. A simple message, “We are here, and we will work with you”, can be powerful. Record agreed adjustments and revisit them, because an employee’s needs may change over time.
Protect connection and belonging: Major life events can disconnect people from their usual networks. Employers can help through peer groups, trained wellbeing champions, mentoring or carefully managed colleague support. Participation should always be optional, and privacy respected. Inclusive workplace cultures also avoid narrow definitions of family or loss, recognising partners, friends, pregnancy loss and other relationships that matter deeply to the individual.
Plan for a sustainable return: Returning to work is not the same as returning to full capacity. Consider a phased return, protected time for appointments, temporary reprioritisation and regular reviews. Avoid presenting recovery as linear. Research in 2021 led Marie Curie to report that 58% of bereaved employees felt their performance was affected for months. Thoughtful adjustments can reduce pressure and support retention.

Compassionate support is not about lowering standards. It’s about giving people the stability to recover, remain connected and contribute when they’re able. Employers that combine clear policy, capable managers and trusted benefits can turn good intentions into meaningful action.

At life’s hardest moments, that response is remembered not only by the affected employee but across their wider organisational relationships; and it can define the relationship between employees and their organisation for years to come.